


Family Business

by opheliasingingunderthestars



Category: Ouran High School Host Club - All Media Types
Genre: F/M, Fluff, Mild Angst, Mild Smut
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-06-30
Updated: 2018-06-30
Packaged: 2019-05-30 23:10:59
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 17
Words: 9,946
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15106730
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/opheliasingingunderthestars/pseuds/opheliasingingunderthestars
Summary: Another year, another round of ridiculous Host Club adventures and mishaps.It was now Kyoya and Tamaki’s 3rd year, and the twins and Haruhi’s 2nd year. Honey and Mori were starting their final year, a bittersweet thought for the other club members. However, the arrival of a new girl might just shake a few people's worlds.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Obviously, this ignores some canon stuff so...roll with it. Fic is complete!

There was a slight knock on the door, and a young woman entered Music Room #3. Kyoya, who happened to be near the door, smiled graciously at who he assumed to be a new guest.

“Hello, and welcome to the Host Club” he said, pushing his glasses up and studying her. He was struggling to place her, which was strange, as he had extensive files on everyone at the school. She had long red hair and artfully choppy, asymmetrical bangs that framed intelligent grey eyes - eyes that held no warmth towards the dark-haired Shadow King.

“I’m actually just looking for Haruhi - is she here?” the girl asked, uninterested in the tall, handsome boy beside her. Kyoya blinked, unused to his charm being so entirely disregarded. It took him a second to register what she asked, and then to register what pronoun she had used for Haruhi.

“Haruhi is in the other room. I’ll get him” he replied smoothly, watching her expression. She raised an eyebrow at him, unimpressed.

“Just tell her that Keiko is here, please” she said with a sigh, and draped herself over one of their many chairs. Kyoya stiffened, not appreciating being ordered around, but went and got Haruhi without complaint. The rest of the boys trailed in after them, curious about the new girl that seemed to have somehow put Kyoya on edge even quicker than Tamaki could.

“Hey Keiko!” Haruhi said with a smile, hugging the other girl. Keiko grinned, Haruhi’s entrance causing a complete shift in demeanor. She was relaxed and friendly, and her smile brought a beauty to her face that Kyoya wasn’t expecting. She had been pretty before, but she lit up in a way that he couldn’t stop watching. There was something about the way she had completely dismissed him that made him even more desperate for her attention, and desperate for her to smile at him the way she smiled at Haruhi.  
He kicked himself internally - what was he doing? He never acted like this. He didn’t know why this girl was getting under his skin, but he wasn’t going to let her get the better of him. He vowed to find out who this girl was and win her over. It was a matter of pride (and nothing else, he told himself).

“Haruhi, aren’t you going to introduce us?” the twins said in unison, draping themselves over each of Keiko’s shoulders.

“This is Keiko Yamashita - we were friends when we were kids, and she just transferred to Ouran!” Haruhi explained, trying to shoo the twins off of her friend.

Kyoya stared at the newcomer, shocked that he hadn’t figured it out before. Of course this was Keiko Yamashita - he had known that the heir to the Yamashita makeup empire was transferring to Ouran since she had moved back to the country from England, where she’d spent the last 4 years with her father establishing a new branch of the business. She was supposed to be a formidable young woman - even though she was only 17 and a 3rd year like he and Tamaki, her father had given her control over much of the operation of the European expansion of the company the year before. The Yamashita’s had almost doubled their profit in the past twelve months thanks to her marketing decisions and aggressive expansion tactics.

It also explained her cold demeanor towards him - two generations back, his grandfather had sued her grandmother for a health and safety violation regarding the ingredients in one of their products after Kyoya’s grandmother had an allergic reaction to her makeup. It turned out that one of their factories had been cutting corners to boost profits without the Yamashita’s knowledge. While it was cleared up rather quickly, the damage to the Yamashita reputation was done and they were only just rebounding to its prior success.

“It’s a pleasure to meet a friend of my darling Haruhi’s” Tamaki said to Keiko, bowing over her hand.

She smiled softly at him and replied, “likewise, it’s a pleasure to meet the young man Haruhi has told me so much about over the past few years”. Haruhi blushed and punched Keiko in the arm as Tamaki started babbling, asking about just what Haruhi had told her.

“Keiko, these are the Hitachiin twins Kaoru and Hikaru, that’s Honey-senpai and Mori-senpai, and you’ve already met Kyoya-senpai” Haruhi said, introducing each of the boys in turn. Mori was stoic but friendly, and Honey had already offered the young woman some chocolate, which she had kindly accepted. She continued to ignore Kyoya, however, much to his annoyance. He was annoyed that he was annoyed. Maybe he needed more sleep - he was usually so much more in control than this. He straightened his glasses irritably and stalked off to the other room - not to sulk, of course. He just needed to do some research on Keiko, and the others’ antics would only distract him.

Later that night, Kyoya laid in bed, exhausted but unable to sleep. His neck was stiff and he could feel his back pain growing, common symptoms of his hypotension. He’d finished his schoolwork in record time, spending the rest of the night meticulously digging through Keiko’s past. Nothing he’d found had been terribly enlightening or interesting: she’d earned top marks at her prior schools both here and in England, was fluent in Japanese, English, and French (typical for someone groomed from childhood to take over an international business), and seemed to have largely kept to herself over the years. She and Haruhi had met at a playground as young children and quickly hit it off. Keiko’s parents disapproved of her close friendship with the commoner, but the nanny who’d taken Keiko to the playground convinced them that the friendship would be beneficial in the long run, as knowing a variety of people would help Keiko understand how to run the business more effectively. As the girls grew, the Yamashita’s warmed to Haruhi. The girls wrote letters and called each other while Keiko was in England, and when she was due to return, Keiko applied to Ouran in hopes of being near her only friend again.

Kyoya tossed and turned, eventually dozing off into a fitful sleep, still thinking about Keiko’s hard grey eyes and the way she looked through him like he wasn’t even there.


	2. Ch 2

The next day, Keiko was chatting with Haruhi when Kyoya entered Music Room #3. She caught Kyoya out of the corner of her eye, made some quick excuses, and swept past him. Kyoya could swear that he felt a chill as she exited the room. Haruhi drank her tea, oblivious to the tension between her two friends.

“Haruhi…” Kyoya began, sitting down next to her, trailing off as he stared at the cup of tea Keiko had left behind.

“Yes, Kyoya-senpai?” she prompted, watching her normally perfectly put together friend drift into his thoughts. She noticed that his tie wasn’t as crisp as usual, and...was that a wrinkle in his suit? Something must have been seriously bothering him. She thought there might even be a smudge on his glasses, but she wasn’t positive.

“Has... Miss Yamashita mentioned...why she doesn’t like me?” he asked, uncharacteristically hesitant. It was only because of he and Haruhi’s unusual bond as the two level-headed, typically unemotional members of the Host Club that he felt comfortable showing her how much this was bothering him.

Haruhi raised an eyebrow and replied, “No. She’s never mentioned you at all. Do you know each other?”. Kyoya sighed.

“Our families have a bad business history, and she’s been very cold. I’d very much like to mend that relationship. Do you think you could put in a good word for me?” he asked, running a slim finger around the rim of Keiko’s tea cup.

“Of course, Kyoya-senpai! I really want you two to get along” Haruhi replied. She continued, “As much as I love the other boys, you and Keiko are the only people who truly understand me”.

“Thank you, Haru-chan” Kyoya replied, using the term of endearment he reserved only for rare occasions. Haruhi blushed, appreciating her friend’s trust and affection, and resolved to talk to Keiko later that day.

 

“I don’t know, Haruhi. I just don’t like him” Keiko said, sniffing in distaste as she and Haruhi ate lunch out in the gardens. Haruhi frowned.

“I know Kyoya may seem cold or calculating, but he’s really sweet underneath it all. You’re both very driven and smart. He wants to be friends - I don’t see why you two can’t find a way to get along,” Haruhi explained, growing a little frustrated with her old friend’s refusal to at least try and be friendly.

“Our families have bad blood, Haruhi. If my father knew I was even speaking to an Ootori, he would probably strip me of my control of the European enterprises. Plus, I’m just not very impressed with what I’ve seen so far,” she replied, shrugging. Haruhi glared at Keiko.

“The Keiko I grew up with didn’t judge someone before getting to know them. If you’d treated me the way you’re treating Kyoya, by making assumptions based on my status as a commoner, we’d never have become friends,” Haruhi snapped before throwing away her trash and stalking off to class. Since when had her friend become so obsessed with her business? Why wouldn’t she even give Kyoya a fair chance? Haruhi knew they’d get along if Keiko would stop being such an idiot. She muttered under her breathe angrily all the way to class, scaring off anyone she passed.

Keiko was left at the table, pale and shaken by her oldest and most patient friend snapping at her. Keiko couldn’t remember any other time that Haruhi had actually gotten mad at her, and she hadn’t imagined that this would be the reason for their first major fight. She went through the rest of the day in a haze, alternating between desperately wondering how to fix things with Haruhi and wondering what she should do about Kyoya.  
Haruhi was right, after all - Keiko knew that she shouldn’t make assumptions or treat him poorly just because of something his grandfather did. Yet there was still the fact that his family was responsible for nearly ruining the Yamashita business. She was still wrestling with years of ingrained hatred balanced against a wish to meet her friend’s expectations when she came home to find a vase of a dozen unusual purple roses on her porch. The card read, “Please accept these roses as a token of the friendship that I hope will bloom between us - K.O.”. She snuck them upstairs to her room, not wanting to explain to her father why Kyoya Ootori was sending her roses.

She caught herself staring at them repeatedly as she tried to do her schoolwork, daydreaming about the handsome man Haruhi had referred to as the Shadow King in her letters to Keiko. He was charming - she had to give him that. Keiko could see why he was the Cool Type in the club: his casually ruffled hair, the perfectly put together appearance, the intelligent and calculating eyes that had watched her with keen interest from the moment she walked in - he was someone used to always being in control of the situation, always having everything perfectly in order. But where did Keiko fit in his world - why was he intent on befriending her?

Kyoya sighed, lying awake in bed for the second night in a row. He hoped that the flowers hadn’t been an misstep. He hated to have something out of order in his perfectly controlled, organized life - and that’s exactly what this tension was with Miss Yamashito, disorder. It put him at odds with Haruhi and since it seemed like she was here to stay, Kyoya had no interest in this tension continuing and becoming a potentially permanent source of disorder in his life. He kept telling himself that the only reason he wanted to fix this was for purely business purposes, since any tension could negatively affect Host Club performance. Deep down though, he knew that wasn’t the only reason he was so preoccupied with Miss Keiko.

 

 

 

Keiko left the Host Club room early, hoping to avoid Kyoya as she still hadn’t decided how to proceed. Thankfully, Haruhi had reassured her that she wasn’t too mad and that they were still friends. However, Haruhi had reasserted her wish that Keiko try and become friends with Kyoya. Ignoring that for now, Keiko pushed open the door and promptly ran right into none other than the infamous Shadow King himself. She had been nearly jogging, and the two students combined speed knocked both of them off balance. Kyoya caught himself and, just in time, reached out and grabbed Keiko’s arm, keeping her from falling.

“Are you okay, Miss Yamashita?” Kyoya asked, hands tight on her shoulders as he held her steady. Was it just her imagination or was there a hint of real concern under his stoic mask?

“I’m fine. I’m sorry for running into you” she apologized curtly, pulling away from him. She thought she saw a flash of hurt in his eyes before he stepped back, composure perfectly maintained, glasses glinting.

“Don’t even think of it,” he replied, tone neutral and restrained. Without another word, Keiko fled, embarrassment turning her almost as red as her hair.

 

Kyoya sat, trying to balance the Host Club’s accounts, but instead continuously distracted by the morning’s events. He could still remember the feeling of Miss Yamashito running into him, instinctively reaching out to catch her, and most painfully, her eagerness to escape him. He had wanted to chase after her, to hold her until they worked things out, to keep her next to him - he sighed, removing his glasses and setting them on the table while he pinched the bridge of his nose. He could feel a headache coming on, and for once, it wasn’t caused by Tamaki’s antics. This...preoccupation with Miss Keiko was getting in the way of his work. Yet, as annoying as she was, he couldn’t seem to get her out of his head. It was beginning to border on obsession, and Kyoya knew that if he truly became attached to this girl in the way he feared he was, he wouldn’t be able to let her go. Ootori’s don’t share - they get what they want and they keep it. He growled under his breath - he didn’t have time for this! The girl clearly wasn’t interested in him, and he needed to focus on finishing high school and keeping Tamaki and the Host Club under control. He snapped his computer shut and stalked out of the room to go home.

The twins, who had been doing schoolwork in the music room, looked at each other, eyebrows raised. If it had been any of the other members, the twins would’ve chased after them and poked and prodded until they got answers. Kyoya wasn’t someone you bothered though - he’d been tense for a few days now. The twins had a feeling it had to do with Keiko, but getting in the middle of Kyoya’s bad temper was something they had no interest in doing.


	3. Chapter 3

The next few weeks became a series of awkward run ins for Keiko and Kyoya, and their continuing tension became the the talk of the Host Club (never when Kyoya was nearby, of course).

“I wish Keiko would get over her stupid pride and just talk to him! I know they’d be friends if she’d just give it a chance” Haruhi said, frustratedly venting to the other club members. Tamaki wrapped his arms around her and kissed the top of her head.

“You’re so cute when you’re annoyed, Haruhi” he said dotingly, earning an elbow to the ribs from his girlfriend.

“I’ve never seen Kyo-chan try so hard to impress a girl before,” Honey-senpai mentioned, and the others nodded.

“We’ve never seen Kyoya try to impress a girl at all,” the twins clarified. And it was true - as the cool type, Kyoya was aloof and rarely had girls request him. He was more of a “stare at from a distance but don’t get too close cause he’s still the Shadow King” kind of Host.

“Keiko said he even sent her roses,” Haruhi mentioned thoughtfully, and the boys stared at her in shock.

“Kyoya sent a girl...roses?” Tamaki repeated, trying to process this strange new behavior from his best friend.

“Uh oh,” the twins responded in unison, looking at each other knowingly.

“That’s new,” Mori rumbled, a light smile playing at the corners of his mouth. Honey laughed and climbed onto Mori’s shoulders.

“Kyo-chan has a crush!” Honey exclaimed happily, giggling. Haruhi grinned.

“That would be a mess for all of us. I think they’d make good friends but dating? Keiko is incredibly stubborn, which I can’t imagine mixing well with Kyoya’s need for control. But...maybe…” Haruhi trailed off, thinking. She had always felt like the two of them would get along, and maybe they’d be good for each other…

Keiko struggled to focus on her schoolwork, distracted by the lecture Haruhi had given her today for the millionth time about giving Kyoya a chance. She knew that she should just bite the bullet and talk to Kyoya, but she’d dug herself a hole that her pride refused to let her climb out of. To give in now required admitting that she was wrong, something Keiko didn’t do easily. The purple roses began to wilt on her desk and made her feel guilty every time she saw them. Kyoya had tried to be nice, and she was being childish and refused to even give him a chance. And, if she was being completely honest, she did find him pretty attractive. It was getting harder to ignore him when all she wanted to do was play with that perfectly ruffled hair of his. She made up her mind - she’d go talk to Kyoya tomorrow after classes finished. She knew he stayed later than the others, so she’d be able to talk to him alone. She wondered what her father would say if he knew she was going to befriend an Ootori, and then pushed all thought of the family feud out of her mind for the night.

Every day that Keiko continued to refuse to talk to him drove Kyoya a bit crazier. His room was a mess, and his sister had even caught him punching his pillow one night, which he hadn’t done since the early days of he and Tamaki’s friendship. She smartly chose not to say anything, hoping that whoever was driving her brother crazy would be as good for him as Tamaki had been. He couldn’t sleep, and stalked the halls of Ouran in a foul mood - he snapped at people when he was usually charming, and Tamaki had to calm him down more than once when the twins misadventures and teasing annoyed him. They kept him away from the girls all day, and he hid in the back room angrily filling out his ledger and grumbling about how much money the boys were costing the club.


	4. Chapter 4

“Haruhi?” Keiko called out softly, shutting the door to Music Room #3 behind her with a quiet click. Kyoya looked up from his table, annoyed at the interruption.

“Haruhi has gone home, Miss Yamashita. I’m the only one still here” he said coldly, standing and walking over to the young woman. She blushed slightly and looked at the floor.

“I...I’m sorry for interrupting your work. I was just looking for Haruhi” she said, backing up towards the door behind her - clearly Kyoya was in no mood to talk. She was beginning to regret this stupid plan to try and smooth things over with him when he suddenly cornered her. He had one hand on the door, the other on his hip, and infuriating smirk on his face as he studied the young woman trapped between him and the door. Her breath caught in her throat as she met his eyes - she had expected annoyance and cold hatred, not the heat they held.

“You knew Haruhi wasn’t here, just as you knew that I would be the only member still here this late” Kyoya said, stating facts rather than asking questions. She blushed even more, but continued to meet his eyes.

“Yes. I thought we should...fix things, between us” she said, stubbornly refusing to let him see how much his close proximity was affecting her. He smelled like...was that peppermint? His glasses glinted, and his smirk shifted a touch closer to an actual smile.

“Interesting. And just how do you propose we go about fixing things between us?” he asked, lingering on the last two words and leaning in closer. He enjoyed watching her squirm a little - she’d been causing him hell the last few weeks, and he’d be damned if he didn’t take this opportunity to make her just a little bit uncomfortable.

“Look, I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have been so rude to you. You are not your grandfather, just as I am not mine” she said, wilting a little as she swallowed her pride and apologized. Kyoya stepped back - he hadn’t been expecting an apology from her so quickly, and he could tell that it had taken her a lot to do so. While his instinct was still to make it clear that he was the one in control, he restrained himself.

“Thank you. I hope that we can take some time to get to know each other now?” he asked, holding out his hand. She shook it with a small smile.

“Yeah, I’d like that”.


	5. Chapter 5

Haruhi wandered out to the courtyard, searching for Keiko so they could have lunch together. She stopped short when she saw Keiko already eating lunch with someone - Kyoya!

“Pssst! Haruhi! Over here!” someone whispered from behind her, and she was yanked behind a bush. Looking around, she found the rest of the Host Club eagerly peering at the two others through the branches.

“What’s happening?” Haruhi asked, confused by the sudden change in her two friends’ behaviour.

“I think they’re friends now” Tamaki said, face firmly planted in the leaves, studying his Vice President and best friend.

“I wonder what changed…” Haruhi mused and the twins draped an arm around her knowingly.

“So, we were in the Music Room last night” Kaoru said.

“But in the back, and Kyoya didn’t know we were still there - we’ve been avoiding him since he’s been in such a terrible mood lately” Hikaru continued.

“And while we were in there, we saw Keiko come in, and then Kyoya pinned her against the door, and then she apologized for being rude to him!” Kaoru exclaimed.

“And then they said they wanted to be friends, so I guess that’s why they’re eating lunch together” Hikaru finished. Haruhi stared at them.

“Pinned her...against the door…” she muttered, clearly having latched on to that detail.

“The tension was wild” the twins said in unison and Haruhi shook her head, trying to focus on what was important.

“Well, at least they’re friends now…” she muttered, watching intently through the bush. Keiko was slowly eating her lunch, blushing as she chuckled at some comment from Kyoya and Kyoya...well, Kyoya was practically radiating happiness compared to the past few weeks. Haruhi just hoped that her two strong-willed friends wouldn’t hurt each other before all was said and done.


	6. Chapter 6

Keiko began to spend a lot more time with the Hosts, and since she wasn’t paying for her time with them, the other girls began to get jealous. Keiko brushed it off though, unconcerned.

“I don’t really care if they don’t like me, Haruhi. You all are my friends, and Kyoya has made it clear that he’s not going to make me pay to be with you” She told Haruhi, eating lunch and ignoring the many glares shot their way.

“Man, even I had to pay to hang out with them…” Haruhi mumbled into her sandwich, her debt for breaking that cursed vase flashing behind her eyes. A shadow covered the table and Haruhi looked up to see Kyoya and Tamaki arrive with their own lunches.

“Hello, you two” Kyoya said smoothly as he sat across from Keiko, unwrapping his lunch. Tamaki restrained himself and kept to a simple hair ruffle for Haruhi, since no one knew they were dating outside the Host Club to keep her cover as a boy intact.

“How has your day been, my precious flower?” Tamaki asked, slipping a piece of Fancy Tuna Roll over to Haruhi, who accepted it excitedly.

“Pretty good. The glares from all the other girls at school are a little creepy though” Haruhi replied through a mouth of tuna and Kyoya’s glasses flashed in the sunlight. Very slowly, he turned and levelled his own glare at every girl in the vicinity. Their anger quickly withered under the cold authority of Kyoya’s stare and soon the four had the courtyard to themselves for lunch.

“I was fine, you know. I don’t need you to fix things for me” Keiko said, annoyed at Kyoya’s constant need to be the one in charge.

“I can’t have people treating you poorly, Keiko - it’s on my honor to make sure you’re treated well here, if only because your family is one of the wealthiest enrolled here” Kyoya replied offhandedly.

Keiko slammed her fist on the table, a hint of tears in her eyes.

“Why must you always be so cold!” She exclaimed before taking her lunch and stalking off. Tamaki and Haruhi attempted to fade out of existence on the other end of the table while Kyoya sat, expression unchanged. Without a word, he stood up, told the other two he’d see them at the Club later, and set off in the opposite direction.

Once he had left, Tamaki and Haruhi began to breathe again.

“Kyoya keeps treating her the way he does everyone else - he’s going to have to learn that she won’t settle for that” Haruhi said thoughtfully. Tamaki nodded, poking at his tuna roll.

“The problem is that Kyoya can’t read her. He doesn’t know what she wants from him and it throws him off balance, taking away his control,” He noted, glancing in the direction his friend had gone.

“Either they’ll figure it out or they won’t, but this is something they’ll have to fix on their own,” He said with a sigh. Haruhi smiled, reminded of why she’d fallen in love with Tamaki in the first place - he truly cared about his friends, and he could see through them in an instant, knowing exactly what they needed to do when they were in a tough situation.


	7. Chapter 7

Keiko ran to the flower garden, hiding in the towering rose bushes to cry alone. She hated letting other people see her cry - who would respect the head of a company who sobbed in the plants just because of some stupid boy? A stupid, stupid boy who couldn’t see past his own pride far enough to realize that all she wanted was for him to respect her instead of treating her like another pawn in his game.

“Kei-chan?” a small voice piped up and Keiko spun around to see Honey-senpai and Mori-senpai beside her. Flushing with embarrassment, she desperately tried to wipe away her tears.

“What is it, Honey-senpai?” she asked, unable to keep her voice from trembling.

“We saw you run out here and we wanted to make sure you were okay!” he said sweetly. Keiko sniffed and looked away.

“I’m fine. Thank you for checking on me”.

“Kyoya can be pretty stupid, for a smart guy,” Mori said, startling her. Keiko had only heard him say a few words since she’d met him a few months ago.

“Takashi is right. Kyoya is smart, but he doesn’t know how to talk to people sometimes,” Honey continued.

“Well, he shouldn’t treat people like they’re just some tool in his scheme,” she replied, frustrated and unable to forgive him yet.

“I know, but Kyoya didn’t have many friends before Tama-chan met him. He’s spent his whole life working to show his father that he should run the Ootori business even though he’s got 2 older brothers. He has a lot to prove,” Honey explained. Keiko was struck by the fact that underneath that innocent, childlike exterior, Honey was a very intelligent young man. She sat down on the bench beside them, head in her hands.

“I made such a fool of myself, making a scene,” she said sadly.

“He needs to learn. He will learn,” Mori said stoically, and Keiko realized the silent 3rd year saw everything around him in perfect clarity.

“Don’t worry, Kei-chan!” Honey-senpai said happily.

“Kyo-chan will come around - he really likes you. Just be patient with him!”. Keiko smiled softly and ruffled Honey’s hair.

“Thank you, you two. Kyoya-senpai is lucky to have such good friends”.


	8. Chapter 8

Keiko walked upstairs to her father’s study, wondering why he had called her there so late in the day. Perhaps something had gone wrong with a European shipment, or there was some other emergency?

“Keiko. Please sit down.” he rumbled from the other side of the room, sitting at his desk. As she took a seat, he steepled his fingers and studied his daughter. She had inherited her mother’s dark red hair, but had his steel grey eyes and keen business sense. However, he worried that she might have also inherited her mother’s emotionality, which could cloud her business sense.

“I’ve heard that you’ve made some new friends at school, those boys with whom Haruhi spends her time with”.

“Yes, sir. I believe I’m settling in well at Ouran, and there is much potential for strong business ties to grow out of the influential families of the other students,” Keiko replied, guarded.

“Good. Just remember that while it was nice that Haruhi happened to be there, you are at Ouran because it is the best school and gives you a strong opportunity to build our business”. He paused before continuing, “Just be sure you are making the...best possible alliances while you are there. Uphold the Yamashita name well. That is all.”

Keiko bowed and left the room, hoping her father hadn’t noticed her nervousness. Did he know about Kyoya? If he knew about Haruhi being in the Club, then he must know who’s in it…

Slumped at her desk, Keiko sighed and stared at the purple roses on her desk, now dry and brittle. Several of the blooms had stayed together and Keiko had dumped out the water a week ago and allowed them to continue drying so she could save them. She just hoped that she wasn’t ruining her future with her family for the risk she was taking in befriending Kyoya.


	9. Chapter 9

“Kyoya-senpai?” Keiko called as she pushed open the door to the music room. It had been several weeks since she and Kyoya had decided to become friends, and they’d fallen into the routine of spending time in the music room at the end of the day, when everyone else had gone home.

Looking up from his desk, Kyoya was struck by Keiko’s beauty. The afternoon sunlight filtered through the large windows, dancing in her long, red hair.

“Keiko,” he said, standing, slightly flustered, “it’s good to see you.”

She smiled, blushing slightly. Unable to help himself, Kyoya glanced around and, sure that the room was empty, strided over to the young woman. Grabbing her hand, he pulled her into one of the side closets and, without a word, pinned her against the door and kissed her hard. Keiko quickly melted into him and wrapped her arms around him. This time, Kyoya couldn’t resist the urge to assert his dominance. He pinned her arms above her head and stepped back a bit.

“Somebody seems to be enjoying themselves” he said as she squirmed, trying to get closer again. Her look of frustration was delicious to the dark haired Shadow King, and he revelled at the fire in her eyes.

“Quit playing around Kyoya - we aren’t children. I’m not going to dance around the subject” she said, glaring. He chuckled, keeping her hands firmly pinned.

“Won’t you play along, Kei-chan?” he asked, leaning in close to gently bite her ear. Her breathing hitched, and he smirked, satisfied.

“I am not a mouse to be caught, Kyoya. You would do well to learn that if you wish this to continue” she said coldly and Kyoya looked up, startled. Smoothly, he covered his miscalculation by sweeping her off her feet and setting her on a desk.

“Ah, so you like to be treated like a queen then. Very well, m’lady” he replied, bowing. While Kyoya longed to dominate her, it wasn’t worth losing her. Perhaps there was a middle ground to be found. She frowned and Kyoya raced to determine how he had once again misstepped. 

Before he could try again, she smirked and grabbed his tie, pulling him close. Mouth pressed close to his ear, breath warm, she whispered, “Never assume you aren’t the mouse, kyo-chan”. With a quick nip of her own at his ear, she pushed him back and sailed out of the room. Kyoya was left, dizzy and dazed, leaning against the desk for support as he struggled to regain his composure.

That night, Kyoya tossed and turned in bed until the sun rose. He had always been the dominant one in relationships, always been in control. How had she turned his whole world upside down so quickly? What was he supposed to do? He never seemed to be able to read her correctly and he worried he would screw whatever this was up without meaning to. Groaning, he remembered how poorly he’d read her desires earlier that day, and felt himself flush with embarrassment. Finally drifting off, he dreamt of mice and traps and endless mazes with no solutions.

Keiko, for her part, slept soundly.


	10. Chapter 10

Kyoya looked tired the next day and Keiko felt a little bad for toying with him the day before. However, she wasn’t some submissive swooning maiden like so many of the girls the Host Club dealt with, and she needed Kyoya to understand that. She loved his little power plays and assertions of dominance so much because she liked the fight, the battle of wills. She knew they could be compatible, even if Haruhi had her doubts. Kyoya just needed to get his head out of his ass and look at her like his equal rather than a toy to be trapped.

“Keiko, can we speak for a moment? Privately?”

Surprised, Keiko looked up into a pair of thoughtful grey eyes. Nodding, she followed Kyoya into an empty classroom. They each perched on the edge of a desk, not making eye contact.

“Keiko I...I want to apologize” Kyoya began, and Keiko stared at him, shocked. An apology, from Kyoya Ootori?

“I believe I have been...unfair to you. I have approached this as though you are just anyone instead of treating you as someone who I believe to be my equal. I hope that I have not done anything irreparable, as I wish to see where this goes” he stated calmly, but Keiko could clearly sense his tension.

“I accept your apology and I hope that this will solve our disagreements” she replied, smiling lightly. However, a moment later, she drooped.

“Kyoya,” she began sadly, “what are we going to do about our families? I know how important it is to you to take over your family business, and this could ruin your chances at that”.

“And this could ruin your chances of ever taking over the Yamashita empire,” Kyoya added, understanding her sadness.

“I...have never met someone like you, Kyo-chan. I don’t want to give up on this,” said Keiko as she ducked her head, hiding the tears that threatened to escape. She had worked her whole life to take over the family business and she desperately wanted to. However, she was drawn to Kyoya in a way she had never imagined possible, and she knew that they could be a powerful pair. Closing the distance between them, Kyoya swept her up in his arms and held her tightly.

“We will figure it out. Together. We’re the two smartest people we know, after all” Kyoya said lightly, but the waver in his voice betrayed his anxiety. They stood together for awhile in silence, ignoring the outside world and all the complications that came with being who they were.


	11. Chapter 11

Haruhi noticed a shift in her friends. Kyoya seemed more centered and calm and Keiko was lighter, quick to smile. However, when the two thought they were alone, Haruhi could see a sadness that tinged the edge of their smiles that didn’t seem to be caused by any fighting - in fact, they hardly fought at all anymore. Kyoya had stopped doing everything for Keiko, allowing her to take care of things unless she gave him permission. Keiko didn’t antagonize Kyoya anymore either.

“I think they reached a peace agreement,” Haruhi joked to the twins and Tamaki one afternoon.

The twins chuckled and Kaoru replied, “I’ll say. The tension’s almost worse than when they were fighting though”.

“Yesterday, I came back to the music room after school to get a book I forgot and when I walked in, they jumped away from each other, all rumpled and embarrassed,” Hikaru added.

“I’d scold Kyoya for fraternizing in the club room but since we’ve done the same thing, that would hardly be-” Tamaki was cut off by a strong whack to his head by Haruhi, who was deeply unamused.

“Honestly though, I’m a little surprised that Kyoya has gone this far with all this,” Hikaru mused.

“What do you mean?” Haruhi asked, suddenly suspicious and hoping her friend had had Keiko’s best interests at heart all along - if he hadn’t she’d whack him seven ways to Sunday.

“Well with the feud between their two families, both of them are taking a pretty big risk being together. I don’t know about Keiko, but Kyoya certainly takes his chance at running the Ootori empire pretty seriously,” Kaoru explained. Haruhi sunk back in her chair, staring at the table.

“That’s right,” she said quietly, “Keiko told me that if her parents found out she and Kyoya were even friends then she’d be stripped of her European side of the business”.

Tamaki sighed and replied, “I do wish their parents would get over it, but, sadly, as with all the influential families here, we keep grudges until we die and beyond”.

“Well that’s just not fair!” Haruhi exclaimed angrily. The twins leaned back a little - Haruhi didn’t get mad often but when she did, it was best that you weren’t in her warpath.

“Keiko and Kyoya deserve to be happy. They shouldn’t have to avoid each other just because of a stupid disagreement between their grandparents,” Haruhi vented frustratedly.

“A disagreement which made Kyoya’s grandmother very sick and nearly ruined the Yamashita family forever,” Tamaki gently reminded her, only to get the harshest of glares in return. The twins shivered and thanked god that they hadn’t been stupid enough to say that to Haruhi right now.

“It doesn’t matter. It happened decades ago - the Ootoris and Yamashitas are both very successful now, in no small part to their children, Kyoya and Keiko!” Haruhi continued stubbornly.

Hikaru replied, “I think the best we can hope for is that Kyoya and Keiko are able to change their parents minds about the feud. If anyone can figure out how to orchestrate that kind of plan, it’d be those two”.

Haruhi sighed and sat back in her chair, knowing Hikaru was right. As unfair as it was that her friends had to deal with this feud, if anyone could figure a way out of it, they could. Haruhi just hoped it would be sooner rather than later for everyone’s sake.


	12. Chapter 12

“Whatcha doing, Keiko?” Kaoru asked, sneaking up behind the young woman.

“Well, I was reading, until you gave me a heart attack,” she grumbled good-naturedly - Haruhi had told her many tales of the Twins mischievousness, and she’d grown to like their clever pranks over the past few months.

“It is a beautiful day for reading,” Hikaru piped up from her other side, giving her a second heart attack.

“Somebody ought to put bells on you two,” she said, chuckling. The Twins smiled, knowing full well their power.

Sitting down next to her, Kaoru asked, “So, how is everything?”.

“You’ve seemed a bit stressed lately and we wanted to check in,” Hikaru added. Keiko sighed, not wanting to burden the boys but needing to talk to someone.

“I’ve been trying to figure out a way to help our families move past the feud. I keep turning it over and over in my head but I’ve come up empty,” she said, frustrated and anxious at the trap she was in.

“Have you thought about what’s most important to each of your families?” Kaoru asked, and Keiko glanced over at him, curious.

“Both your family and the Ootori’s are very driven and ambitious, just like ours - it seems to me that figuring out what your families each value most and then playing into that might be a solution,” Kaoru explained and Keiko nodded.

“Yes...that just might work,” she said, distracted, wheels already turning.

“You two will figure it out. You’re the smartest ones here, after all,” Hikaru said, confident in his friends’ abilities.

“Thanks, Hikaru. You too, Kaoru - you just might be on to something,” she said gratefully.

“Don’t worry about it - that’s what friends are for!” Kaoru said.

Keiko smiled softly. “I’ve never had many friends, other than Haruhi. She’s worth 50 friends, but it’s been really nice having a few more friends than just her”.

The Twins glanced at each other. “We know. We didn’t have many friends before the Club, and Haruhi is the only person who’s ever been able to tell us apart. Even in a group of the closest of friends, she’s something special” Hikaru said.

“Yeah, she really is,” Keiko replied, thankful for everything Haruhi had helped her learn.  
  
_“Hi, I’m Haruhi. What’s your name?” the little brown haired girl in front of her said. Keiko stared at her, red hair blowing in the spring breeze. She didn’t know what to do - why was this girl saying hello to her?_  
  
 _“Would you like to play with me?” she asked, brown eyes wide and friendly._  
  
 _Keiko caught her nanny gesturing at her encouragingly, so she replied, “I guess so. My name is Keiko”._  
  
 _“Okay, Keiko!” Haruhi said with a laugh, “you’re my friend now! Wanna swing?”. Keiko swung next to the other girl, who was happily chattering away beside her. She had never had a friend before, just lots of maids and her nanny, who only kind of counted. She didn’t really know what to do, but she liked having a friend. It made her feel warm inside. Maybe this other girl, this Haruhi, would help her learn what being friends meant._


	13. Chapter 13

“Let’s take a trip!” Tamaki announced grandly.

“What? Why?” Haruhi asked, annoyed because she’d been planning on using her weekend to catch up on schoolwork.

“Everyone’s been so stresssssed lately. We need a vacation! Perhaps somewhere in the countryside, like that pension in Karuizawa! We can see Misuzu again!” Tamaki replied, picking Haruhi up and swinging her around.

“Put me down, Senpai!” she said, struggling, and Kyoya perked up.

Adjusting his glasses, he chimed in, “That actually sounds like a good idea”. Haruhi gaped at him.

“C’mon, Kyoya-senpai - I figured you’d be against this as much as I am! Won’t it cost the Club a fortune?” She said, trying to win him back over to his side. Shaking his head, Kyoya smiled. It immediately set everyone in the room on edge.

“No, I think some countryside pictures of the Hosts will cover the costs just fine. I’ll call Misuzu immediately”. He strode out of the room, leaving the rest of the Hosts staring.

“Did Kyoya just agree to pay for an entire vacation with no complaints?” Hikaru said.

“I wonder what Kyo-chan has up his sleeve,” Honey asked wisely and everyone glanced at each other, worried about this unusual change in Kyoya’s behaviour.

“Well, I guess we’ll find out! Now, everyone go home and pack - you’ll be picked up in an hour!” Tamaki said lightly, quickly dispersing the club members for the day.

Haruhi stepped out of the Suoh family limo, dressed in a light sundress. Since she was off school grounds and far from the students of Ouran Academy, she could dress like a girl here at her family friend’s pension.

“Haruhiiiiiiii!” a woman yelled across the courtyard, waving her over.

“Hello Misuzu” She grumbled politely, still upset at her lost studying time. Misuzu happily greeted all the boys before promptly roping them into doing some work around the pension for her signature “refresher points”. Haruhi sighed and walked into the house to drop her bags when she ran into Kyoya, who had arrived separately.

“Wow, you got here fast” she exclaimed, wondering why he’d travelled alone.

“I decided to come early and check in on an Ootori Enterprise holding here, so I flew out,” he explained when Keiko rounded the corner, decked out in an adorable floral sundress that complimented her hair.

“Haruhi! Isn’t this place the cutest? I’m so glad we get to spend the weekend here!” she said excited, throwing her arms around her friend.

“So this is why you wanted a vacation - so that you and Keiko could have some peace away from your families,” Haruhi said, realization dawning on her. Kyoya straightened his glasses. He was also dressed in more casual attire, although on the cutting edge of fashion as ever. The Hitachiin twins’ mother supplied clothes for all the Hosts when they were out and about out of uniform.

“Can you blame us?” Keiko asked, suddenly looking tired. Haruhi took in the subtle signs of strain on both her friends, hidden to most but noticeable to her.

“Not at all,” she replied, squeezing Keiko’s hand.

“Well, shall we see who wins the Refresher Point competition this time? It’s sure to be amusing,” Kyoya said with a slight smile, and the trio went off to watch the other boys compete for Misuzu’s amusement.


	14. Chapter 14

Keiko and Kyoya laid in bed, quietly curled around each other and enjoying their brief reprieve from their usual stress. It was well after midnight and the other Hosts were fast asleep, but the two didn’t want to lose a minute of their short escape.

“Kyoya,” Keiko began, sitting up, “I think I have a plan”. Kyoya pushed his glasses up, intrigued.

“What are you thinking?” he asked.

“Well…” she said, a bit nervous, “I’ve been thinking about it a lot, and I think the only way we’re going to win over our parents is if we make it clear that there’s a business benefit to putting the feud behind us”. Leaning against the headboard, Kyoya listened intently.

“I know that might be hard but if we can make a strong argument, they might just listen!” Keiko said confidently. Thinking, Kyoya sat silently and considered her proposal. Keiko fidgeted, worried about his silence.

“Well?” she finally asked, unable to wait any longer.

“I think it just might work. Clearly the stress has been getting to me - I haven’t been able to think of a solution but this makes perfect sense,” he replied, kissing her on the forehead.

“I knew if I didn’t figure something out, you would,” He continued, pulling her closer. She leaned back on his chest as he held her, feeling safe and finally relaxing.

“Now we just have to come up with the right business proposition…” she said sleepily, and Kyoya’s eyes suddenly flashed.

“What if we propose a new line of makeup for your company, produced in conjunction with the Ootori medical group?” he asked, the most visibly excited Keiko had ever seen him.

“What do you have in mind? What kind of makeup?” She asked, curious.

“Makeup that’s good for acne, or better for oily or dry skin - we have more than enough research into various skin conditions. We could easily apply what our researchers have learned to a new line of medically-approved makeup for your company” he explained, eyes bright. Suddenly, Keiko leaned forward and kissed him.

Once she pulled back, Kyoya asked, “What was that for?”.

“You’re just so smart, Kyo-chan. I knew we could figure this out,” she said happily, looking more radiant than she had in weeks now that she had a plan.

Kyoya was once again taken back by her beauty - the moonlight spilled onto her dark red hair through the window, illuminating her like some kind of midnight faerie that had just happened to alight in his bed. However, it wasn’t just her beauty that astounded him - Kyoya had never met anyone able to keep pace with his schemes. While Haruhi came close, she wasn’t quite on his level. Keiko could see right through him, play his game and turn it right back around so that it worked in her favour instead - never had he met such an impressive woman. 

Seeing her sitting there, hair rumpled in his bed, Kyoya couldn’t stand it anymore. He wrapped an arm around her waist and quickly slid her forward so that she was laying down. Kneeling over her, he leaned down and whispered in her ear, “How did I find such a clever girl?” before trailing a string of light bites down her neck.

Keiko arched towards him, allowing him to take charge. He teased her for a moment, tracing her body with his hands, before his impatience got the better of him and he pulled off her nightgown. Seeing her laying beneath him in the moonlight, eyes filled with trust, almost broke his composure. He quickly stripped off his own clothes to cover his momentary loss of control before resuming the string of kisses down her body. He felt her shiver under his touch and grinned. However, before he could do anything else, Keiko quickly flipped him over so that she was on top.

“Remember, Kyoya - no one said you weren’t the mouse” she said, a warrior queen bathed in silver light towering over him. This time it was his turn to shiver and, for once in his life, Kyoya was happy to relinquish control.


	15. Chapter 15

“Is it just me, or did Kyoya and Keiko seem happier today?” Haruhi asked on the last night of the trip, laying in bed while Tamaki played with her hair.

“I have a feeling they must have come up with a plan - Kyoya had that spark back in his eyes that he’s been missing. And he talked to me for an hour today about ways to cut Club expenses, so he certainly seems to be back to his old self,” Tamaki grumbled, although he smiled at the thought of a happy, albeit frugal, Kyoya.

“Well, he was definitely excited about the photos we took for that new book of his,” she replied, rolling her eyes as she thought about the photoshoot they’d done this afternoon. Photography was Keiko’s hobby, so Kyoya hadn’t even needed to hire a professional, much to his excitement. Sighing contentedly, Haruhi rolled over and curled into Tamaki’s arms.

“I’m glad they’ve figured things out. I knew they’d be good for each other if they just stopped being so pig-headed about everything,” she said happily. Tamaki smiled, staring out the window at the stars.

“Yes, I think Keiko has been very good for Kyoya. He’s never had someone to properly challenge him before and almost everyone he meets bores him to death. I’m glad he’s found someone who will only help him to grow”.

Haruhi looked up at Tamaki and thought about all the time she’d spent with the Host Club over the past year and a half. She’d watched each of the members grow in their own way, although Kyoya had remained aloof and detached for the most part. She knew he had been the first person Tamaki brought into the Club, although their early friendship had been fraught and it had taken Kyoya a long time to see past Tamaki’s goofy exterior. This felt like his first major step forward since then. Haruhi kissed Tamaki gently.

“I love you, ya big goof ball,” she said affectionately, and he chuckled.

“I love you too, my precious flower,” he replied, pulling her closer, vowing to never let her go.


	16. Chapter 16

“Father, may I speak with you a moment?” Keiko asked respectfully, standing in the doorway to his study. Curious, he motioned her towards a chair and waited for her to begin.

“I have a business proposition that I’ve put together with one of the other students at Ouran,” she began, having carefully thought through the best way to present this to her father.

“One of the student’s family runs a large medical company with a significant research contingent. We’d like to start a new line of medically-approved makeup for treating things like acne, oily skin, or dry skin. We don’t currently offer any makeup that is formulated for specific skin types, and with the research findings, we could expand into a whole new market” she explained, hands clenched in her lap.

“And which family might this be?” her father asked, tone suspiciously light.

“The Ootori family. Their son has promised me that if we want to pursue this venture, he will make it happen,” she answered, twisting her dress in her hands. Her father made a disapproving sound and her heart sank.

“I knew you were hanging out with this Ootori boy in that little club Haruhi is in, but I had hoped you’d have more sense than to befriend him,” he said angrily. 

Fighting tears, Keiko exclaimed, “Would you really let a decades old feud get in the way of a strong business venture? Kyoya is not his grandfather. Isn’t it time we moved past this grudge?”. Her father leaned back in his chair, fingers steepled. They sat, silence stretching for what felt like eons.

“I suppose it would be fitting to have the grandson of the man who almost ruined our company aid in our expansion…” he finally said.

Seeing her opportunity, Keiko began to explain the specifics of the plan she and Kyoya had made - how much funding the testing would need, how the two families would split the profits, the estimated profits from the new line. Her father nodded silently, considering, before agreeing on two conditions:  
it must be successful  
it would be Keiko’s sole responsibility - if it failed, she’d be stripped of her place in the company indefinitely.

“Thank you father!” she said, bowing before running off to tell Kyoya and Haruhi the good news.

 

 

 

“It would be an act of charity for us - showing mercy on the family we once almost bankrupt, sharing our research so as to never prevent another atrocity like what happened to grandmother occurring,” Kyoya stated calmly, knowing just what his father would want to hear. It hurt to describe it like he was taking pity on the Yamashita’s, but he knew it would appeal to his father’s cutthroat and manipulative tactics.

“Why bother though? We aren’t even getting the majority of the profits in the plan you’ve laid out, so why should we bother working with them?” his father asked.

“I’m sure you’ve heard of their quick and successful expansion in the past year - it’s due to the daughter, Keiko. With her leading the company, they’ll quickly surpass where they were when we sued them. Partnering with them now could lead to highly lucrative ventures in the future,” Kyoya argued, hoping his father took the bait. After a moment, Mr. Ootori nodded.

“This seems like a reasonable venture. Fine, but it’s under your supervision - don’t bring shame upon our family name,” his father warned. Kyoya almost drooped with relief, but he held himself together long enough to leave the room before collapsing on his bed in relief.


	17. Chapter 17

The school year was wrapping up, and the Club couldn’t believe another summer was already here. Mori and Honey would be graduating and no one really knew how to process that, so they all ignored it for the most part. They’d spent all of their free time together, knowing that there would be no going back to this moment once the group split.

Keiko had been hired as the Club’s official personal photographer, which mitigated the other girls’ jealousy once they got their hands on the new books of photos she’d taken. Even better, Kyoya and Keiko’s makeup line testing was already in full swing, with the Yamashita laboratories testing out various applications of the Ootori research. It was showing extremely promising results, and consumer polls showed a high level of interest in the potential products. While the older members of the two families had yet to fully make peace, Kyoya and Keiko were hopeful at the prospects and were more carefree than ever. Of course, Kyoya still made sure to rule over the Club with an iron fist, but at least he wasn’t slamming laptops and threatening to take away Honey’s sweets allowance anymore.

“This isn’t at all what I imagined happening when I enrolled at Ouran, Haruhi, but I’m sure glad you brought me here,” Keiko told her friend as they sat in the flower garden on a sunny afternoon. They boys were playing their favourite commoner games while Haruhi and Keiko quietly enjoyed their tea.

Smiling, Haruhi replied, “I’m glad you came, too. I missed you terribly while you were away”.

Watching the boys kick the can, she continued, “You’ve also been really good for Kyoya. Thank you for that. Of course, he’s been pretty good for you, too”. She eyed her friend, who blushed and looked away.

“Well, someone wise once told me I shouldn’t judge people before I get to know them. It took me awhile to learn that lesson but boy, was that person right. I just can’t seem to think who that was-” she was cut off by Haruhi whacking her lightly on the arm. Keiko laughed and hugged her friend.

“Just goes to show that you should always listen to me,” Haruhi said with a grin.

“Don’t do that,” Hikaru interjected, sitting down at the table.

“Never listen to Haruhi, she gives terrible advice,” chimed in Kaoru with a grin. Kyoya and Tamaki came and sat with the girls as well, with Mori and Honey-senpai not far behind. Keiko sighed contentedly, holding Kyoya’s hand and watching the bees buzzing in the flowers.

“I wish we could stay here forever, just like this. In some ways, this whole year feels like a dream - I’ve never had this many friends before” Keiko said. The twins smiled knowingly across the table at the young woman who was more like them then they’d initially thought.

“Well, now you’re part of the family. That’s a lifetime membership,” Tamaki said seriously and Haruhi giggled.

“I mean it!” he said indignantly, and was rewarded with a kiss for his sweet comment.

“I couldn’t have imagined a better one,” Keiko said, smiling at Kyoya, thankful for the new family she’d been gifted with. He smiled, a genuine smile, knowing that he had an unparalleled partner to share the rest of his life with. He couldn’t imagine a better future, even if he knew he’d never fully be in control again. He was okay with that.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The End!


End file.
